


Beyond the sea

by unknownlifeform



Series: Tolkien Gen Week [2]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Apologies, Conversations, Gen, Tolkien Gen Week 2020, and who wouldn't be, frodo is a bit tired of elves sometimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25124713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknownlifeform/pseuds/unknownlifeform
Summary: In the Blessed Realm, Frodo meets an Elf who wishes to talk to him.
Series: Tolkien Gen Week [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818310
Comments: 12
Kudos: 53





	Beyond the sea

**Author's Note:**

> Is Frodo and Celebimbor talking in Valinor a new concept? Maybe not, but I need like a whole novel of it.
> 
> Day Two: Platonic

It was a wonderful day, but then again, so were most days in the Blessed Realm. Frodo sat in the shade of a tree, enjoying the breeze coming from the sea, taking long breaths from his pipe. There was no such thing as Old Toby here, but after much of Bilbo’s complaining Elrond had managed to find them an acceptable substitute.

This was a favorite place of his, and Elrond knew to look for Frodo there if he needed something. It did not surprise Frodo to hear voices coming closer, or to see two Elves making their way towards him. One of them was Elrond, but the other one Frodo could not recognize.

The second Elf, the one Frodo didn’t know, stopped a short distance from him. He looked at Frodo in a peculiar way. Not with curiosity exactly, as most Elves held for the first Hobbit they had ever seen. There was a difference emotion in his eyes, one Frodo couldn’t quite place.

“Frodo. I hope we are not bothering you,” Elrond said.

Frodo stood up. “Not at all, I was only smoking.”

“Good. Then, if you have time, this here is a friend and kinsman of mine, who wished to exchange a few words with you.”

Frodo eyed the other Elf. He had already met many of Elrond’s relatives, but this was a new one. Then again, Elrond’s family was big enough to rival Hobbit standards, especially on his father’s side. Frodo would guess this Elf here belonged to that branch as well. He still struggled at times to tell apart the various kinds of Elves, but Frodo felt this one could be used as the very example of what Noldor were supposed to look like.

And yet there was something distinctly not Noldor in him. Frodo was starting to learn that that was flashy folk, especially Elrond’s relatives. They liked to wear so many bracelets and earrings and necklaces and rings that it was almost blinding to look at them. Even the most somber had at least a few fancy trinkets braided in their hair.

This one was not wearing a single piece of jewelry, not that Frodo could see at least. Nothing around his neck, on his ears, on his hands. Even his clothes, while surely rich, did not have any of the gold and silver threads sewn in that Noldor seemed to like so much. Rather unusual.

Frodo bowed. “It would be my pleasure to speak with one of Elrond’s friends. I can put out my pipe, if the scent of smoke bothers you.”

The new Elf shook his head. “No, the scent is no bother to me.”

Also unusual. Most Elves hated when someone smoked around them. Elrond himself put up with it because of his friendship with Bilbo and Frodo, but had never gotten used to it.

“I will leave you to talk then,” Elrond said. “I will be at home if you need me. Frodo, cousin.” Elrond inclined his head, and left. So this was meant to be a private conversation, then.

“May I ask for you name, my lord? Mine is Frodo Baggins, but I reckon you already knew of it.”

“Please, there is no need for you to call me lord. It’s not a title I deserve, at least not from you, Master Baggins,” the Elf said. Frodo would have raised an eyebrow at that, had he been a smidge less polite. “As for my name, in Middle Earth I was known as Celebrimbor of Eregion, and I reckon that may also be known to you.”

At that, Frodo froze. “It is. I have heard much your works.”

Celebrimbor smiled, but it was a tense thing, that didn’t reach his eyes. “I wished to apologize to you, Master Baggins, for the pain my mistakes brought to you.”

Frodo shook his head. “There is no need for apologies, Celebrimbor, and if you don’t wish for me to use your title then I also have to insist you simply call me Frodo. I know the story, and it was not you who made the One.”

“Ah, but the rest of the Rings were my own work. Had I not made them, the One would have never been so powerful.”

“You were deceived, or so I’m told,” Frodo said. “I cannot fault you for that. I know well how persuasive he could be, even in the wretched state he was.”

The air was warm, but still Frodo shivered, remembering. Even if years had passed, the memory of that voice in his head never failed to make him feel cold.

Celebrimbor’s face was pinched. “You are very kind, Frodo.”

“I simply don’t believe anyone else is to blame for Sauron’s actions. His malice was his, and his alone.”

A flicker of pain crossed Celebrimbor’s features at the name. “On that, I can agree, but perhaps some would say I should have been wiser.”

“Wisdom is easy to have in hindsight,” Frodo said. Some would also say Frodo should have been wiser, resisted the call of the Ring, and Frodo himself thought it, at times. He reminded himself however of how powerful the Ring had been, how strong its voice and its lies. No one in his place would have been able to resist. He didn’t know what Sauron had told Celebrimbor, all those centuries ago, but Frodo doubted anyone in Celebrimbor’s place would have seen beyond the lies either.

Celebrimbor took a deep breath. “If you don’t wish for apologies, then at least let me thank you, for destroying him once and for all.”

Normally, Frodo would refuse that gratitude as well. It had been the right thing to do, to bring Sauron to his end. Ever since he had reached these shores, Elves upon Elves had come to thank Frodo for it, and he was getting tired of it.

But Celebrimbor was not just happy Sauron’s reign of terror was over. He had been hurt deeply, personally.

“You are welcome, but you should thank Sam more than me. Hadn’t it been for him, I doubt I would have reached Mordor in the first place.”

“Sam?” Celebrimbor asked.

“He was my gardener in the Shire, and followed me through the whole quest. He made me move forward when my body was weary and my mind clouded.”

“I see. Then, I’ll try to make my gratitude fly over the sea.”

“You might tell him in person, one day,” Frodo said. “Lord Elrond tells me he has foreseen Sam sailing too. It will be in quite a few years, but I reckon it should not be very long for you.”

“He has been granted passage?” Celebrimbor said, surprised.

“I bore the Ring most of the way, but he also carried it for a brief time.”

“Ah. I will look forward to meeting him, then.”

Frodo looked forward to see Sam again, too. He missed him dearly. In this land of Elves and Valar, Frodo found himself wishing to hear Sam’s practical, logical mind. He amused himself sometimes by thinking what would Sam say at times, seeing all these Elven Lords having heated arguments on linguistics.

But Sam had a family to take care of, and Frodo wished him and Rose many more years together, and all the children their hearts wanted. He could wait.

“May we talk of something else? There are some memories I prefer to not dwell on, not on a beautiful day such as this,” Frodo said.

“Of course. I’m sorry, for bringing them up. But I have to admit I don’t know what else to talk about, as I’ve never met any of your kind before.”

“It’s a common problem in this land, I fear, and I must admit I also find myself lost in the conversations of Elves most times. However, I can think of one thing, and I fear I may be the one who needs to apologize to you. On my behalf and that of my companions as well.”

Celebrimbor raised an eyebrow. “Why would you need to apologize to me? We only just met, and I cannot think of any offense you have done to me.”

“In our travels, me and the rest of the Fellowship had to pass through Khazad-dûm to cross the Misty Mountains. We entered through the Doors you and Narvi made.”

Frodo hoped he hadn’t butchered the Khuzdul name too much. Gimli used to say everyone in the Fellowship had a terrible accent, but Frodo never did find the time to get taught properly. As for Bilbo, the only Khuzdul words he had learnt in his travels were some that he said should not repeated in front of polite company.

Celebrimbor lit up hearing it. “Khazad-dûm! A wonderful kingdom. I heard it fell some times ago, and that saddens me, because it was an awe inspiring land full of talented people. Me and Narvi argued much on those Doors, we could not decide on a design for months.”

Frodo had to once again remind himself he was dealing with an Elf born quite literally before the Sun and the Moon shone in the sky, and for him more than a thousand years was indeed only some times ago. “I saw them, and they were truly beautiful. However, ah...”

“What is it?”

“When we reached the Doors, there was a lake in front of the walls. A river that had been blocked, I’m told. Our passage disturbed a creature that lived in the water, and it destroyed the Doors while it tried to chase us.”

The emotions that passed on Celebrimbor’s face were… quite entertaining to look at, at least. “What kind of beast or demon was capable of destroying those Doors?” he asked at last, sounding offended at the very suggestion.

“I can’t answer that. Even Gandalf – Olórin – couldn’t tell me what it was. You might want to ask him, he could have found out by now.”

Celebrimbor shook his head. “If even Olórin could not recognize it, then it had to be something beyond horrible. Still, I’m surprised anything short of a dragon could destroy those Doors! And not a small dragon, we had that possibility in mind when we built them. Narvi would be furious, if she knew.”

“You loved that work very much.”

“That work, and that kingdom as well. When I last set foot there, it was a marvel to behold.” Celebrimbor sighed. “It was a sad day when it fell. I hope the people of Durin found a new place to settle in.”

“Their main kingdom is Erebor. I have never been there, but you may ask my uncle. He has seen it, even if not at its glory. But the Balrog is gone now, so the Dwarves may yet be able to rebuild.”

“I hope so, but I imagine it will be hard work after all these centuries.”

Frodo agreed. Passing through Moria, he had seen glimpses of how beautiful it once had been, but there had also been more Orcs there than in Mordor. It would take time for them to disperse, and for the Dwarves to clean their old kingdom out.

“I’m afraid I cannot quite imagine it in the way you knew it, but I would like to hear about it,” Frodo said. “My friend Gimli told me tales, but Khazad-dûm was already abandoned many generations before he was born.”

“If you would,” Celebrimbor said, appearing surprised by the request. “But in that case, I will also have to ask you about how Middle Earth looks today. It has been long since I last was there, and I have many questions.”

“I will try to answer them, then. Do you wish to sit? I’m afraid I have no chairs to offer you, but the grass here is very soft.”

“The grass will do nicely, thank you.”

Frodo liked this Elf. He was very polite, and what Hobbit did not like a polite fellow? And while he surely carried himself proudly, he looked and acted with more simplicity than most of Elrond’s family. Frodo could enjoy talking with him some more.


End file.
